Tagged: income tax

After making little progress for weeks, public negotiations on taxes have continued in the Kansas Statehouse.

Legislative leaders and the governor had been meeting behind closed doors, but this week it appeared those talks had stalled.

House and Senate negotiators held a public meeting Wednesday and House members offered a new compromise.

The House and Senate have been divided on the issue of sales taxes.

Kansas lawmakers just returned to the Statehouse on Wednesday, but already it looks like a disagreement on taxes could push the session past lawmakers' 80-day deadline.

House and Senate Republicans disagree on whether to extend a temporary sales tax increase. It's set to expire on July 1, and House leaders want to let it end as planned. Republican leaders in both chambers want to lower income tax rates, and Senators say keeping the sales tax elevated allows the state to lower income tax rates more quickly.

The Kansas House has given first-round approval to a bill cutting sales and income taxes after rejecting a diversion of highway funds to stabilize the budget.

The bill advanced Wednesday on an 82-37 vote, suggesting it has enough support to pass on final action, which is expected Thursday.

The legislation follows up on personal income tax cuts enacted last year by promising income tax rate reductions each year that overall state revenues grow more than 2 percent.

Also, the bill allows the state sales tax to decline as scheduled in July.

The Kansas Senate has passed a bill that would cut income tax rates in Kansas and keep the sales tax at its current rate.

The Kansas House will soon be considering a tax plan that's very different from one proposed by Governor Sam Brownback.